1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of a slide rail for cabinets, and more particularly to a self-closing buffer and automatic rebound mechanism for slide rails with the functions of buffering and lowering noises when closing the a cabinet and automatic ejection by pressing.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, various slide rails structure such as those with a drawer interlock function, an automatic return function and a closing buffer function or even combined with the automatic return function and the buffer function are used extensively in industrial applications and even for cabinets at home, and these slide rails improve the smoothness and safety of pulling out a drawer.
An improved automatic closing device of a slide rail as disclosed in R.O.C. Pat. No. M385280, and I319465 serves as a buffer self-closing device for a slide rail and comprises a self-closing fastener, at least one elastic element and a buffer element, wherein the elastic element provides a pull-back force required by the slide rail assembly, and the self-closing fastener automatically closes the slide rail assembly to prevent the slide rail assembly from sliding to open accidentally at a non-operating status. In addition, the buffer element has a damping function to reduce the impact force when the slide rail assembly is withdrawn and prevent users from being clamped or injured by the fast-moving slide rail components.
In addition, an auxiliary positioning apparatus for slide rail assembly as disclosed in R.O.C. Pat. No. I404868 comprises a positioning element pivotally coupled to a first rail, and the positioning element comprises: a latch; a guide seat coupled to the second rail, and including a first channel, a first groove and a first wall, wherein the first wall has a first guide surface disposed opposite to the first channel; a second channel; a second groove and a second wall, and the second wall has a second guide surface disposed opposite to the second channel; a separator, having a guide end opposite to the first groove; a latching member having a latching surface, and a portion of the latching surface being disposed opposite to the second groove; a third channel, a third groove and a third wall, and the third wall has a third guide surface disposed opposite to the other portion of the latching surface; and a fourth wall has a fourth guide surface; a link element, corresponding to the positioning element. If the second rail is situated at a position opposite to the first rail at a received position, the latch will be situated in the first channel, so that when the rail is pushed inwardly by a force, the latch is moved into the first groove, and when the force is released and one of the rails is ejected, the latch is guided by the separator to pass through the second channel. When the rail is pushed inwardly and received, the latch and the latching member are engaged with each other. When a pushing force is applied to the rail again, the latch and the latching member are disconnected, and the latch is released through the third groove and the third channel, so as to define a three-stage press locking/unlocking function.
A drawer automatic opening and closing buffer device as disclosed in R.O.C. Pat. No. M370971 is installed between a drawer and a cabinet, and the drawer automatic opening and closing buffer device comprises: a fixing base, fixed at a predetermined position of an inner wall of the cabinet, and having a buffer cylinder installed onto a side of the fixing base, and a positioning portion disposed on the other side of the fixing base, and the fixing base further including two guide slots; a slide seat, with a side coupled to a shaft of the buffer cylinder by sheathing guide portions on both sides on two guide slots of the fixing base respectively, and having a swing element pivotally installed to a side of the slide seat and a slide hook pivotally installed to the other side of the slide seat, and the slide seat further including two guide slots disposed opposite to each other, and each guide slot having a stop portion; a self-opening control element, having a hook block and a latch portion capable of latching and positioning the swing element, and one or more guide columns disposed on both sides of the self-opening control element, such that the self-opening control element can be slid into the two guide slots of the slide seat through the guide columns, and the self-opening control element is coupled to a side of an elastic element, and the other side of the elastic element is coupled to the other side of the slide seat; one or more slide seat resetting elastic elements, with an end coupled to the slide seat and the other end coupled to a predetermined position of a connecting portion of the fixing base or an inner wall of the cabinet; a slide hook, pivotally installed to a side of the slide seat and having a hook portion, a latch portion and an abutting portion, wherein the latch portion can be latched to the positioning portion of the fixing base; a starting frame, mounted to a predetermined position of an outer wall of the drawer and having a link element disposed on a side of the staring frame, a link portion disposed on a side of the link element for linking the hook block of the self-opening control element, and an abutting portion disposed at the link element for abutting the hook block of the slide hook, wherein the other side of the starting frame has a starting portion for abutting the abutting portion of the slide hook. Therefore, the side-locked ball-bearing slide rail originally having the basic functions of pulling or pushing the drawer out of or into the cabinet can also have the automatic opening effect and the self-closing buffer effect for drawers, and also can reduce shocks and noises.
However, the aforementioned self-closing buffer and automatic opening functions cannot be integrated effectively, thus causing inconvenience to use. Even if these functions are integrated, users are unable to troubleshoot the problem on their own when there is a wrong operation that results in unsmooth operations or even damages of the slide rail mechanism. Obviously, the prior art requires further improvements.